Wake up, workout, wake up the kids, get them ready for school, go to work, leave work, go get the kids at school, prepare diner, help out the kids with homework, bath time, prepare myself and the kids for the next day, put the kids to bed, get an hour with my wife or myself until I start my night routine and go to bed. Repeat the next day until the weekend. When its written out, it looks mundane, busy and rushed. It’s as if there is no time for anything else during the week. My time bucket is filled right to the edge. Not another minute can be spared. In all honesty, some days it’s exhausting with so many chores and activities. However those are far in between. As human beings, we are creatures of habit. Therefore this repeating day is comforting for me. It’s great to know what to expect.
What I described above was a high level overview. The major activities of my day to day. Hidden between these chores and activities are my breaks. More specifically, my mental breaks. This is where my day gets to change because they are always slightly different. When I’m working, I am present and give it all I got, but I also know my body well enough when to take a break and ensure I am not overworked. I know when to pull back and say, “It’s time for a break, let’s take 5 and resume after.”
Depending on the day, my breaks can be 5 minutes to a few hours. These include short meditation sessions where I lay on the floor or sit upright and do simple breathing exercises like box breathing. Longer breaks include time for myself where I either read, write, workout, go for a run or work on a personal project or house project.
These things work for me. There were a lot of trial and error trying to find what works to recharge my mind and body of energy throughout the day. There are still some challenges. What worked yesterday might need to be tweaked the next day. Everyday, I am a different person and that requires a customizable approach to my mental breaks. The breaks are “me time” and crucial for me to recharge. It makes my life balanced.
However, I recognize most of the warning signals my body sends me when it’s time to take a break. These signs can be lack of focus, diminished interest in a task I usually enjoyed, unhealthy binge eating or irritated with what I am doing. These mental breaks resets my mind. They give me a chance to reflect and give me perspective on what I was doing previously. They also slow my thoughts down to give me a chance to untangle them and get them in order.
I wouldn’t change my daily chores and activities. They are part of my current life and are temporary like everything in life. I enjoy them while I am doing them because one day these won’t be part of my life. Nonetheless, they can make the day tedious and my mental breaks are necessary to boost my day. Make time to break the the cycle by incorporating short “you time” moment throughout the day, it’ll help clear your mind.
Take care.